Improvement in paddle-wheels



N0. 118,532. h Patented M1529, 1871.

l Lfur,

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOSEPH C. HITE, OF MOUND CITY, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR TO HDWSELF AND CHARLES LE E. Moss, oE sr.

LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN PADDLE-WHEELS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosErH CHITE, of Mound City, in the county of Pulaski and State of Illinois, have made certain new and useful Improvement in Paddle-Wheels for Marine Propulsion; and I do hereby declare the following is a full and true description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon This invention relates to the use of paddles or buckets of a spiral form which enter the water onv the power stroke with an increased power to propel, and on the return stroke leave the water without lifting the same. The nature of said inven tion is in the arrangement of two sets or series or any multiple of sets of paddles, forming rightand-left spiral wheels to act separately or in conjunction with each other, with greater power and useful ei''ectto produce or receivepropulsion than many paddle-wheels in common use.

To enable those herein skilled to make and use my said invention, I will now more fully describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing7 of which- Figure l is a top plan, showing my improved wheel applied to the stern of a vessel. Fig.2 is a side elevation.

My said wheel in its application and use for propelling` vessels upon the water may be arranged upon tlie sides of the deck and hull or at the stern, as required, and ordinarily used. The said wheel will be supported upon a proper wheelshaft, A, resting in pillow-blocks, or otherwise supported, and connected properly, to be operated by the engine or power source in manner usual. To the wheel-shaft A is keyed or bolted a proper number of armed anges, B, to the arms C of which is securely bolted the series of spiralshaped metal buckets C C', generally four in number, as represented in Fig. l. The series D has its buckets C arranged parallel to each other,

whilefthe buckets C of series D are arranged spirally reversed to series D, said series conj ointly forming a right-and-left spiral Wheel, as clearly shown in Fig. l. The wheel thus formed may have a varying opening, E, to prevent a lift of the water, orbe entirely closed, as deemed most practicable. Also, the buckets C Cl may be constructed in sections or strips o c', and bolted so as to be removable, to allow for the adjustment of said vbuckets or wheel, in accordance with the varying depth of the vessel, in manner usual. (See Fig. l.) The right-and-left buckets C C in their action propel, and at the same time force the water centrally toward each other; thus an increased propelling power is at all times achieved. The spiral shape and the inclination achieved prevent said buckets from lifting the water on the return stroke, while it will be noticed that on the power stroke all excessive jar is avoided, and loss of power, occasioned when the wheel-paddles enter. nearly or quite horizontal with their broad surfaces and strike the water, is here practically overcome.

My improved paddle-wheel is cheap, light, and durable in construction. Its form of construction greatly reduces its size and Weight 5 a greater 

